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Edwards on Politics
5 mins to read

When it comes to local elections, the smaller the better

ANALYSIS: The smallest council had the largest turnout of voters, while Auckland’s turnout was the lowest.

WATCH: NBR political editor Brent Edwards speaks with Simon Shepherd.

Brent Edwards Thu, 16 Oct 2025

It is not time yet to declare that local democracy is dead.

Plenty of commentators jumped on the initial turnout for last weekend’s local government elections, which showed just 32.6% of eligible voters had voted. But the provisional voter turnout results, taken two days later, tell a slightly

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Brent Edwards Thu, 16 Oct 2025
Contact the Writer: brent@nbr.co.nz
News tip? Question? Typo? Let us know: editor@nbr.co.nz
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When it comes to local elections, the smaller the better
Edwards on Politics,
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